Why Animal Research?

News

NIH Official Educates PETA About the Applicability of Animal Research May 19, 2017

There has always been a debate surrounding how best to use animal models in research. The most recent concerns from PETA have given the National Institutes of Health an opportunity to educate us about the applicability of animal research. http://www.nabr.org/nih-official-educates-peta-about-the-applicability-of-animal-research/  read more →


The “Magic” that Saved Jimmy Kimmel’s Son Made Possible by Animal Research May 4, 2017

The Hollywood comedian, Jimmy Kimmel, got emotional in front of his television audience. He tearfully thanked the doctors and nurses who saved the life of his son, born last week with a congenital heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with Pulmonary Atresia (PA). This rare disease is characterized by four main heart defects that can be corrected by a series of operations over several years—all…  read more →


Dogs' similarities boost human cancer research February 3, 2017

Cancer research often involves mice, however, dogs have more physiologic and genetic similarities to humans than mice do. Also, dogs spontaneously develop many of the same cancers as humans. Studying cancer treatments in dogs not only helps the canine patients, but it also provides a greater understanding of the disease, and allows for the collection of valuable data needed for FDA approval of similar…  read more →


Improved Heart Transplants Thanks to Greyhounds September 18, 2016

Greyhound dogs have contributed to advances in preserving the heart for a transplants. Despite what biased news sources have stated, the dogs were provided anesthetics so that they would not feel any pain, and the research was approved following rigorous ethical review. This research will contribute to better heart transplants for human patients. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/19/contrary-to-emotive-reporting-scientists-testing-on-greyhounds-are-not-dr-frankensteins…  read more →


This Story Changed My Mind about Dog Research May 26, 2016

One blog writer shares her initial struggle with the idea of dogs in biomedical research, but how her thoughts have changed through researching a story about how dogs have contributed to advancements in cancer therapies that benefit both dogs and humans. https://fbresearch.org/story-changed-mind-dog-rese...  read more →


A129 and AG129 Mice Valuable for Evaluating Zika Virus April 29, 2016

Several recent publications have demonstrated the value of A129 and AG129 mice for evaluating Zika virus and potential vaccines and treatments. Zika virus has been associated with Gillian-Barré Syndrome as well as the birth defect microcephaly, and the recent spread of the virus in the Americas has caused public health concern. Several groups have characterized Zika virus in A129 and AG129 mice.…  read more →


Marshall Has Signed a Statement Supporting European Directive 2010/63/EU (“Directive”) on the Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes March 29, 2016

Marshall BioResources, together with leading biomedical research organizations, learned societies, industry representatives, universities and patient groups, has signed a pan-European statement supporting the European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.The statement highlights that:Research using animals has facilitated major breakthroughs in medicine, and…  read more →


FASEB Capitol Hill Briefing Emphasizes Importance of Research with Canines November 20, 2015

Experts spoke on Capitol Hill about the ways in which research with dogs has led to medical advances for both people and animals affected by serious illnesses. These presentations were for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) briefing on canine research. One presenter described similarities between canine and human cancer, and how researching canine cancers influences…  read more →


Beagles Bred with Muscular Dystrophy Offer ‘Hope of a Human Cure’ November 14, 2015

Muscular dystrophy is a devastating disease caused by a genetic mutation that results in an inability to produce the muscle protein dystrophin. This protein is necessary for the building and repair of muscles, and thus those with the disease continue to experience degeneration of muscle tissue. The disease predominantly affects boys, and begins around age 5, by age 12 most individuals must use wheelchairs…  read more →


New Procedure Developed Using Pigs Allows Patients to Receive Replacement Heart Valves Without Open-Heart Surgery September 1, 2015

Federal regulators have just approved a device that will allow physicians to replace faulty heart valves without open-heart surgery. The first patients to receive the treatment included a few dozen pigs. As Americans are living longer, aortic valve disease has grown more common. This new procedure offers hope to patients who could not undergo open-heart surgery. The use of pigs helped ensure the procedure…  read more →


Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey, FDA Scientist Who Kept Thalidomide off U.S. Market, Dies at Age 101 August 7, 2015

The drug thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant women during the late 1950s, and resulted in the births of over ten thousand babies with severe birth defects worldwide, and in the actual loss of several thousand additional pregnancies. However, the tragedy was averted in the United States, as the FDA did not approve thalidomide for use by pregnant women. This was primarily due to Dr. Kelsey's concerns…  read more →


Why Testing on Prisoners is a Bad Idea August 5, 2015

It is often asked, why can't research be performed on convicts instead of animals? However, even putting aside the moral, ethical and legal arguments against testing on prisoners, there are several scientific issues as well. The medical history of prisoners cannot be standardized or controlled; there is no way to look at correlations between genes and disease; and even if non-violent prisoners were…  read more →


Why People Are Wrong to Oppose the New Beagle Breeding Facility July 21, 2015

"Currently, around 20% of the dogs used in research in the UK are imported from abroad (those involved in 956 of the 4,779 procedures in 2013). This is because the UK breeding facilities cannot provide all the dogs used in the UK. These dogs have to endure long and potentially stressful flights from other countries. Surely it is better to breed them here in the UK, where we have some of the highest…  read more →


Here's What Went Wrong with Last Year's Flu Vaccine June 30, 2015

Antibodies produced by ferrets and sheep exposed to influenza strains used in last season's flu vaccine help researchers understand why the vaccines were so much less effective. Since ferrets are susceptible to human strains of influenza, they remain a valuable model for vaccine development each year. http://news.yahoo.com/heres-went-wrong-last-years-...  read more →


Canine Cancer Research Holds Promise for People June 16, 2015

The genetic similarities between some dog and human cancers help researchers study new chemotherapies for humans in pet dogs with naturally occurring cancers. Dogs with naturally occurring tumors may serve as a better model for testing immunomodulatory therapies than laboratory mouse models. http://www.newsmax.com/Health/Cancer/canine-cancer...  read more →


The Reason the European Citizens’ Initiative Failed is the Reason Anti-research Campaigns are Failing Generally June 8, 2015

The anti-vivisection industry is failing, mainly due to misinformation and misrepresentation. The truth is that animal studies have contributed to improved health for both humans and animals. http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news...  read more →


Commission Replies to "Stop Vivisection" European Citizens' Initiative June 3, 2015

The European Commission has rejected the call by the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) to repeal Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-5094_en.htm  read more →


A Conversation About Beagle Testing May 27, 2015

A 6th Grade student interested in learning more about the use of beagles in research and testing is able to visit a laboratory animal facility to see firsthand how the animals are treated with care and compassion, and to discuss the important medical advancements that result from animal research. http://speakingofresearch.com/2015/05/27/a-convers...  read more →


Your Dog Can Get Alzheimer's Too February 1, 2015

Older dogs can develop cognitive impairments similar to Alzheimer's disease in humans. Similar cellular changes associated with the disease occur in the brains of both humans and dogs. Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, and research in dogs can help humans as well as vice versa. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/01/dog-alzhe...  read more →


Researchers Ferret Out a Flu Clue December 18, 2014

New research demonstrates that both ferrets and humans share a common genetic mutation, which explains why ferrets are susceptible to human influenza strains and have made a good model for studying the pathogenesis of human influenza strains and new vaccinations. http://www.healthcanal.com/infections/flu/58577-researchers-ferret-out-a-flu-clue.html  read more →